City of Clockwork
by Team Jem Carstairs
Summary: When Henry creates a time Portal, what will ensue? How will Jace react to meeting his ancestor? And will Clary find herself falling for Jem? The answers to these questions and more lies within... CITY OF CLOCKWORK. T because I don't know what'll happen.
1. Whirring Noise

**Alright, here is a MI/ID crossover! Sorry the chapter seems short, if you guys like it, I'll make the next part longer... Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters... sadly. Thank you, Cassie!**

**London Institute, 1878**

It was early evening, and everyone was just sitting down to dinner. At one of the table sat Will Herondale, dark-haired and blue-eyed, studiously ignoring everyone else at the table. On one side of him was Jem Carstairs, pale and ethereal, desperately trying to engage Will in conversation. On Will's other side sat Tessa Gray, shape shifter, currently furious with Will, though still on good terms with Jem. At the other end of the table was Charlotte Branwell, head of the Institute, waiting for her husband Henry to show up. Also absent was Jessamine Lovelace, delicately beautiful, who had gone to visit distant relations in Paris.

"Tessa," Jem begged in a whisper so that Charlotte couldn't hear, "Tessa, please don't do this. The same goes for you, Will. You two can't ignore each other forever."

"I can, and I will," Tessa said stubbornly. Will said nothing, just stared down at his hands.

Charlotte stared at the trio across the table from her and sighed. It was clear that both Will and Jem had feelings for Tessa, though she didn't seem to return them for either boy. _Where is Henry? He ought to be here by now…_

It was at that moment that Henry burst into the dining room with a jubilant expression on his face. "I've done it!" he cried, slightly out of breath, "I've done it!"

All four of them turned to look at him. Finally Charlotte voiced the question that was burning inside of all of them. "Done what, Henry? What did you do?"

"Why, I believe I've created a Portal that can cross not just space, but time! We can delve into the past, or perhaps even leap into the future! Imagine the possibilities! Why isn't anyone saying anything?"

It seemed everyone was too stunned to speak. The future? It was too good to be true, they thought, and it probably didn't work. It wouldn't be the first time Henry invented something that was nonfunctioning. Obviously Will was the first one to voice this concern.

"Henry, are you quite certain this will _work_? The last time you told us a Portal could travel through time, you nearly blew the Institute apart, _and_ got Magnus Bane angry at us."

"It wasn't my fault that time. Warlocks are so touchy about rifts in space and time." Henry protested.

Will looked as though he was about to make a caustic remark, so Charlotte intervened. "We don't know that this doesn't work yet. We need to at least give this a try, don't we?"

Jem spoke up. "I agree with Charlotte. Shall we give it a try, then? Where should we go? What time period?"

Henry looked relieved that someone was willing to believe him. "We should go to the future, just in case we accidentally mess something up. How far into the future should we go?"

Will spoke up. "Lucky number thirteen."

"Thirteen years is a long time, Will. I was thinking more along the lines of a few months," Henry said.

"Thirteen or nothing. I don't compromise," Will said.

"That's for sure," Tessa muttered under her breath, earning a glare from Will and a small smile from Jem.

"Alright, alright, thirteen years into the future. Now where shall we go?" Charlotte asked. "Tessa? What do you think?"

Tessa thought for a moment. "New York. We should go to New York." The wistfulness in her voice was unmistakable.

Henry nodded. "Well, then, now we have something. Are we all ready?"

**New York Institute, 2008**

Clary Morgenstern sat in her bedroom at the Institute, finishing a drawing. Her green eyes narrowed in annoyance as her red curls once again fell in her eyes. She pushed them back impatiently.

At that moment, someone walked in without knocking. Without even looking up, Clary knew it was her boyfriend, Jace Herondale. Sure enough, Jace was there, leaning against the doorframe, giving Clary a sultry grin. He looked even more beautiful in the low afternoon sun, gold hair shining and tawny eyes sparkling. Clary hopped up and ran to him, giving him a long slow kiss, melting beneath his touch. After a minute, he broke away.

"Just thought you might want to know that the bloodsucker's here," he said softly.

"Simon's here? To see me?" Clary inquired, surprised. Though Simon could go out in the sun now, he rarely came to the Institute, where he could not enter. He may be a Daylighter, but the Institute was still hallowed ground and he was still damned.

"No, he came to see me. Now that I've had my way with him, though, I thought you might like to say hello," Jace said sarcastically. Clary whacked him on the arm and ran downstairs to see Simon.

Simon stood as close to the Institute doors as he could, peering inside, waiting for Clary. His eyes lit up when he saw her, for it had been a long time. She had been in Idris, homeland of the Shadowhunters, doing business for the new Council there. He tried to have as normal a life as possible, but how normal could life possibly be as a vampire? Clary threw her arms around Simon, saying hello. At least it sounded like hello; her voice was muffled since she had her face buried in Simon's shirt.

He smiled. "Hey, Clary, missed you too. How was Idris?"

She pulled back. "It's so nice, Simon, I love it there. I'd love to go back someday."

"Alright, alright, that's enough of that, then. Hands off my girlfriend, bloodsucker," Jace broke in, sounding more amused than upset.

"Hey, Blondie, tell your girlfriend to get her hands off me. I'm just standing here."

Behind Jace appeared Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, tall, pale and dark-haired, though Alec had clear blue eyes like crystal and Isabelle's eyes were dark as night.

"What are we all- Simon!" Isabelle cried, jumping into Simon's arms. Though the two of them did have an on-and-off relationship, Isabelle tended to over do it sometimes.

Alec stood silent, waiting for his boyfriend to show up. He was seeing none other than Magnus Bane, the extravagant High Warlock of Brooklyn.

Simon brushed his brown hair off his forehead, hiding the Mark of Cain that was present above his eye. He furrowed his brow and looked up. "Does anyone else hear that… whirring noise?"


	2. Extra Zero

**Here you go, then, Chapter 2 is up! Er, don't know what to say, so just enjoy! Please review!**

**Disclaimer: Cassie Clare owns everything... *sigh***

**London Institute, 1878**

Henry finished carving a few runes on the wall, next to other runes that make a Portal. "Alright, set to New York, thirteen years in the future… Everyone ready?"

At that moment, a glowing blue-white circle appeared on the wall- a Portal. Henry stepped into it, pulling Charlotte behind him. Next was Jem, who held on to not Will, but Tessa. When they were gone, Will, wearing his habitual scowl, jumped in. It was then the Portal closed.

If you have never traveled by Portal, there are no words to describe the sensation. It was as warm and bright as the inside of a fire, but you could _see_ time and space just outside the reaches of the Portal, as though through a veil. Everything was somehow crystal clear but obscured at the same time. No one could see each other, yet their senses were heightened so as to sense exactly where everyone was. Generally Portal trips were rather short, but this one traveled over the ocean (water tends to disrupt magic, and Portals were magic), plus they were going through time as well as space.

All of a sudden everyone heard Henry's voice: "We'll be landing soon, everyone! Be prepared! And someone help Tessa land, please, she's never traveled by Portal before!"

**New York Institute, 2008**

Everyone did hear the noise Simon was referring to, but they were distracted by the arrival of Magnus Bane, looking very… _striking_ in his famous rainbow leather pants and a tight, glittery blue shirt that matched his hair.

"Don't worry, everyone, for _I_ have arrived," he announced with a grand sweep of his arm. His composure was ruined when he saw his boyfriend. "Alec!" he squealed, running over and giving the eldest Lightwood a huge bear hug. Suddenly he stiffened.

"I sense magic. Have any of you opened an unauthorized Portal again? Clary?"

"No! Not since that last time, I swear."

It was then that a bright light flashed a few feet above Jace's head, not unlike the light of a seraph blade. They all stared for a moment, unsure of what to do, when a half dozen people fell out of the sky, one landing directly on Jace. The two of them crumpled to the ground, black on gold. The boy who landed on Jace stood up, fixing his black hair. "Who are you?" he asked Jace.

"Jace Herondale, who the hell are you?" Jace said irritably.

The boy's eyes widened. "Herondale? But that's my name… I'm Will. So we're related, then?"

Jace nodded slowly, confused. "Guess so."

On another step stood Henry and Charlotte, speaking to Magnus. "So you're Magnus Bane? We know him, but that was in London. When did you move here?" Henry inquired.

"London? Did I hear you right?" Magnus asked uncertainly.

Henry nodded. "Yes, the London Institute."

"I… I haven't lived in London for over a hundred years. How did you get here Henry, Charlotte? Didn't you remember the last time you tried to make a time Portal? I had a lot to clean up that day… So there's Will, Tessa, and Jem, but where's Jessamine? She didn't want to come?"

"She's in Paris," Charlotte contributed.

A few feet away, Jem was helping Tessa to her feet. "Are you alright, Tessa? It's hard, the first time you travel by Portal."

"No, no, I'm fine, Jem, don't worry," Tessa said shakily. It was then she noticed Clary standing nearby.

"Oh, hi, I'm Clary," she said. "If it's not rude… who are you guys?"

"I'm Theresa Gray, but please call me Tessa," Tessa said.

"And I'm James Carstairs, but you can call me Jem, everyone does," Jem smiled. "Clary, you said?"

"Clarissa Morgenstern, technically, but just Clary is fine. So are you two Shadowhunters too?"

"Well, Jem is, but I'm technically a warlock. I shape-shift. I'll show you sometime."

Will and Jace were sizing each other up. "How old are you? And are you a Shadowhunter? You better be…" Jace asked.

"Obviously I'm a Shadowhunter, can't you see my Marks? And I'm seventeen, probably older than _you_."

"Hey, I'm seventeen too, so shut your insolent British mouth before I-"

"Before you _what_? I could most certainly beat you in a fight. _Americans_," Will muttered under his breath. Perhaps Jem could see the cool, appraising look Will gave his opponent before a fight; perhaps he wanted to be sure his friend was okay, but either way he hastened to be at Will's side, closely followed by a wide-eyed Tessa and Clary, rolling her eyes at Jace.

"Will, I hope you don't intend to fight so soon after arriving here," Jem scolded. "It would be poor manners to fight someone whose privacy we are intruding upon."

"Yeah, Jace, no fighting," Clary said with a smile.

Will narrowed his eyes at Jace, refusing to look at Jem. "No laws against fighting family, though, are there Jem?"

Jem looked confused. "Family? What do you mean? Surely you two can't be…"

The differences were obvious. Where Jace was white and gold, Will was dark, with black hair, pale skin, always dressed in black. It was only his striking blue eyes (rather like Alec's, Jace noticed) that added any color to him. Jace had his blonde hair, pale gold skin and gold eyes.

However, once you got over the differences, you couldn't help but see the similarities. Their tall, slender form concealing muscles of surprising strength; the mischievous light in their eyes; even the way they carried themselves, as though they knew exactly how irresistible they were. Later everyone could compare their scalding wit and caustic natures.

"Jem Carstairs, meet Jace Herondale."

Clary looked confused. "Jace… who is this?"

"Will Herondale, I guess. Yeah, my relative."

Henry, meanwhile, was shocked. "One hundred years? What year is this?"

Magnus shook his head. "This is 2008, Henry."

Henry's eyes widened. "Oh, no, I must have accidentally set it to one hundred and thirty years instead of thirteen…"

"Henry! An extra zero is a rather important thing, don't you think? Mr. Bane, can you get us back?" Charlotte asked desperately.

"I can, but not for a while. Time Portals use a lot of magic, and I'd have to have approval from the Clave before I'd even consider it. It will probably be a week or two before I hear back from them… looks like you're stuck here, then. You can stay here, at the Institute. Isabelle! Alec! Tell Maryse and Robert to expect a few more people for dinner!"

**Oh snap! Here we go! Poor Henry, screwing up so badly... Poor Jace and Will, they're stuck with each other now, haha!**


	3. Difficult to Manage

**I'm not posting any new chapters up in here 'til I get, say... 7 reviews. 7 is the most magically powerful number, right? Anyway, you lazy bums, I know you've been reading it, 'cause I have like 8 people on Story Alert (JK, but it's a lot), so if you don't click the little blue button I stay silent. *shrugs nonchalantly* Ask me if I care.**

**Disclaimer: C squared owns the characters, yeah yeah yeah.**

**A Few Hours Later, Inside the Institute**

Maryse Lightwood sighed and put a hand to her forehead. As far as she could tell, four Shadowhunters and a warlock girl traveled by Portal to New York from the London Institute. That would be simple, but the group also appeared to have come from 1878, _one hundred and thirty years ago_. She looked out at everyone- Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, Robert and the London group. "Okay," she said finally, "so we can't get you back for at least a week, right Magnus?"

He nodded. "Probably two. I have to get permission from the Clave, and then of course I have to create the Portal itself. It takes a lot of magic to do that."

"Then you'll have to stay here. Will-" Maryse looked down at a piece if paper she held in one hand. "You can stay in number 107."

Jace stood up. "That's right next to me! Absolutely not, he can go anywhere else, there are a million rooms in the Institute!"

Maryse groaned. "Jace, shut up," she warned. "He's _your_ relative."

"Specifically, I'm your great-great-great grandfather," Will chimed in with a smirk. "Meaning I _am_ older than you."

Jace threw him a glare. "I'm warning you-"

Alec cut him off. "Jace, please," he begged, putting a hand on Jace's shoulder.

"Alexander Lightwood, so help me I'll-"

"_Lightwood_? So that fool Gabriel managed to spawn offspring? The future is confusing," Will put in.

Jace threw his hands in the air. "There is _no way_ I can be related to him," he said, and stalked out of the room. Will followed closely, laughing.

Clary looked around. "Does anyone else think the resemblance is startling?"

Jem, across the table from Clary and next to Tessa, agreed. "Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind that Will has either found a close friend or his worst enemy."

Maryse took the opportunity to continue assigning rooms. "Jem, you're next to Alec. Alec, can you show him where to go?"

Her son nodded. "Sure. Come on," he said to Jem, gesturing for the boy to follow him. As they left the room, everyone heard Jem ask, "Your name is really Lightwood, then?"

"Tessa, you can sleep between Clary and Isabelle. Clary, can you-"

Isabelle leapt up. "I can do it!" she volunteered enthusiastically. She dragged the bewildered girl out of the room. Finally, it was just Maryse, Robert, Charlotte, Henry, Magnus, and Clary, who left soon after Isabelle, presumably to follow Jace. "Okay, then," Maryse said, exhausted, "the two of you can stay in room-" She looked down. "51. If you need anything, Robert and I will be just down the hall."

Charlotte nodded. "Thank you, Maryse. You've been so kind to us all." She left, practically having to drag Henry away from Robert, as the two were deep in conversation about something.

When they were gone, Magnus spoke up. "They're good people, Maryse. Charlotte ran the Institute in London by herself for years. Henry- well, he's a nice guy, even if he tends to like machines more than people. Will is Jace all over again, Tessa is good at handling change, and Jem is the nicest person you could hope to meet." He jumped up then, gasping, cat eyes wide. "Jem!" He ran out of the room without any further comment.

Maryse turned to Robert with a questioning look in her eyes, but Robert shook his head. He didn't know what to make of it either. With a sigh, Maryse climbed the Institute staircase and went to bed.

**The Next Morning**

Jem woke early, unable to sleep any longer in this unfamiliar city. He decided to go for a walk to clear his mind. It was still dark outside, though it was hard to tell with all the city lights shining. He sighed and had just started down the hall when he bumped into someone. They dropped whatever it was they were holding and ducked down to retrieve it, as did Jem. The light from outside made it just possible for Jem to see the stranger's face- the short, redheaded girl who called herself Clary. He smiled.

"Good morning. It's quite nice to know I am not the only one having difficulty sleeping. Is everything all right with you?"

Clary returned his smile with one of her own. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just bringing this-" She held up the book she had dropped. "To the library."

Jem straightened. "Library? May I see it?"

Clary nodded. "Sure, just follow me."

It was a short walk to the library, which was large and expansive. Jem sighed contentedly. "It's lovely." He wandered around the room, examining every corner. He smiled when he found _A Tale of Two Cities._ He'd have to remember to tell Tessa. _Tessa!_ He thought. _Oh, I haven't been able to speak with her since yesterday. I hope she's okay._ He turned to Clary.

"Do you know if Tessa…" He wasn't sure how to finish his question. Clary seemed to pick up on the emotion in his voice.

"She's fine. Well, as well as can be expected. She told me she used to live in New York, and I think she's glad to be back. This might not be the New York she remembers, but… Well, if we give her more time to sleep, I'll take you to see her."

Jem nodded. "I'd like that. Thank you for being so kind."

"It's nothing. Shadowhunters are obligated to help each other, and none of us mind, really. Well, I guess Jace minds, but whatever."

"You two are… together, am I correct?"

"Yeah."

"May I ask… why? That is, he is so similar to Will, and Will…"

Clary nodded, as though she knew what Jem was talking about. "I know what you mean. Jace can be a real jerk, but he cares about me. He cares about all of us. Anyway, you're friends with Will, aren't you?"

"Friends… more like brothers, I suppose. _Parabatai_, a perfect hunting team of two," Jem explained. "He may be difficult, but if Will cares about anything, I suppose it would be our friendship. That and Tessa." His pale cheeks colored. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. Will and Tessa… their relationship is complicated at best."

"I know what you mean. It was like that for a while with us, too."

"See, Tessa is so innocent, so sweet. Will is just… he drinks, he gambles, he, er- sleeps around a lot."

Clary laughed. "Definitely reminds me of Jace. Our relationship was more complicated than that, though. Mind if I tell you?"

Jem smiled. "Go right ahead."

Meanwhile, in another part of the Institute, Jace and Will had woken at the same time, both with the same idea of ambushing the other in their sleep. This led to a silent wrestling match in the hallway. Will was confident that he would win, and was therefore shocked when Jace slammed him into a wall, making his head spin. He had _never_ lost, especially not to some blonde pretty boy. Relative or not, neither was above taking a swing at the other. It didn't come to that, since Jace managed to dodge every kick, every punch, everything Will had in him. After a few minutes of this, Will grudgingly conceded the victory to Jace. When Jace wandered off to find Clary, Will followed, partly out of curiosity but partially to find more chances to annoy Jace. They arrived at the Institute's library and opened the door. That was the moment all hell broke loose.

Clary had apparently decided to give Jem a hug. In his defense, Jem did look rather uncomfortable, blushing furiously.

Jace was livid. "Who the hell do you think you are? Get your hands off my girlfriend!"

Clary tried to calm him down. "Jace, chill. It was just-"

He ignored her as Will stood there, smirking. "Well, well, well, pretty boy, even your girlfriend has deserted you. How does it feel?"

"Not half as bad as it's going to feel when I punch you in the face," Jace muttered.

"See, I think that would hurt you more than me. Jem has often scolded me about my thick head."

Jem had previously been standing quietly where Clary had released him, but now he nodded. "It's true. And I wanted to apologize, I had no intention to-"

No one ever heard what Jem had no intention to do, because it turned out to be him that Jace took a swing at. One slender hand flew to his face and came away stained with blood; Jace had split his lip.

Will yelled in alarm and threw himself at Jace. The two fought furiously for several minutes, long enough for Clary to run and find someone. The first she found happened to be Charlotte, who anxiously followed her back to the library. It was her, tiny Charlotte, who was able to force Jace and Will away from each other. "_What_ has happened here?"

Instinctively she had turned to Jem for answers, and he provided them. "I couldn't sleep, and I- er- _ran into_ Clary here, who was kind enough to show me to the library. Jace and Will caught us in a rather compromising position-"

Clary rolled her eyes. "Jem, you make it sound like we were having sex or something." Ignoring Jem's red face, Will's grin and Jace's shock, she continued. "I gave him a _hug_. He's a very good listener. Jace threatened Jem and punched him, which was when Will launched himself at Jace. Someone really ought to keep these two from being near each other," she finished.

Jace felt a low growl escape his throat. "If he had _kept his hands off my girlfriend_…"

At the same time, Will's blue eyes narrowed. "If you would kindly keep _your_ hands off my _parabatai_, we should have no further problems. Who else is supposed to watch my back?"

Jem smiled to himself through his bruised lip. He knew Will had a heart, somewhere. "If anyone could show me somewhere I can clean up a bit, it would be greatly appreciated."

Clary nodded, shooting a glare at Jace. "Here, Jem, I'll show you."

Charlotte was left with Jace and Will. "Will, I beg you, stop fighting. I don't care if you two _are_ related, it shows poor gratitude. We are allowed to stay here, so please don't mess it up." Without one look at Jace, she spun around on one heel and left, sighing to herself. Between Jem and Will, it could be very difficult to manage everything.


	4. Insouciant

**Yup. Chapter 4. Um... I don't really know what to say, so enjoy! Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anythin', but I'm wishin' I did.**

**Tessa/Isabelle**

Tessa woke up, alone and confused. _Where am I?_ she thought, before remembering the events of the day before. _Oh, dear God, what am I going to do?_ She stood shakily, dressed in the clothes she had on the day before, and stepped out of her room. In the hallway, she saw the girl whose room was next to hers– Isabelle. Tessa found it hard not to hate her, for she was so beautiful, with her long back hair and huge dark eyes.

"Oh, good, you're awake," Isabelle said. "I was just about to get you up. Jace is all pissed off because he thinks that other boy was trying to steal Clary, and now Mom's pissed at _him_ for fighting–"

Tessa's grey eyes widened alarmingly. "Fighting? Whom was he fighting with?"

"Oh, well, first he punched that boy Jem, and then fought with his cousin, or whatever –"

Tessa gasped. "Jem! Is he okay?" She was worried for Jem, but strangely for Jace as well– she knew Will's skills at hand-to-hand fighting were admirable to say the least, and she pitied anyone who hurt Jem in front of him.

Isabelle shrugged, looking mildly amused. "I guess. I'd take you to find him, but I don't know where he is." Her eyes dipped over Tessa's tangled brown hair, her wild eyes, and her wrinkled dress. "By the Angel, you can't go looking for him dressed like _that_! I thought it was bad trying to help Clary, 'cause she doesn't care what she looks like _at all_, but I should think you would know that you can't get a guy to like you looking like you just escaped from Hell. Come with me."

Tessa wanted to argue, but Isabelle was already pulling her into her room. _Jem doesn't care what I look like,_ she wanted to say, but she realized she wasn't thinking of what _Jem_ would think of her. Rather, her thoughts strayed to the beautiful, golden-haired Jace.

**Clary/Jem**

Clary sighed. "I'm sorry," she said, cleaning the blood off Jem's face. "I love him, but sometimes he's too much. He's too protective of me. As though _you_ were a threat!"

"Thanks," Jem said dryly.

"No, no, I'm sure you're a great Shadowhunter, but I just…" She shrugged. "You're, like, his opposite. Quiet, polite, calm, while Jace is so… _insouciant_."

Jem smiled. "I like that. Insouciant. It reminds me of Will."

"Well, as far as I know, Jace and Will are practically the same person, except that Will looks like Alec."

"Yes, I can see the resemblance. Imagine, a Lightwood with the same appearance as a Herondale! Gabriel would be furious."

Clary furrowed her brow. "Who's Gabriel? I heard Will mention him last night, too."

Jem sighed. "A Lightwood. He and Will are mortal enemies, and it would kill him to think that the Herondale looks were transferred to the Lightwoods…" He shook his head and coughed. He put a hand to his mouth, but when he pulled it away, his fingers were still white, not stained red with blood this time. _I need to take my medicine, but how do I get it? I must find Will and ask, to see if he knows._

Clary misinterpreted the sigh of relief. "Your face is fine now. I don't think I need to put a rune on it, you'll heal fine."

Jem brushed a strand of fiery red hair out of her face. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

She blushed a little, smiling. "It was nothing."

**Jace**

Jace paced the length of his room, hands clasped behind his back, thinking. _What does she see in him?_ he wondered, thinking of Clary's arms around Jem's neck, the smile on her face, that look in her eyes that she only ever reserved for him, Jace. He thought it rather strange that she was, in fact, physically attracted to Jem– he was a polar opposite in looks to Jace. Where Jace was broad-chested and well-muscled, Jem was slender and broad-shouldered. Where Jace was all gold, Jem was all silver. _Is that why she likes him? Because he doesn't look like me?_ He stopped, thinking of something else. _Does she like him at all? Was she telling the truth? Was he?_ He was hit by a sudden wave of regret. _What did I do?_

**Will**

Will stayed in the library, refusing to leave and chance running into… well, anyone. He was still furious with that _Jace_ for punching Jem– just the thought made him want to give him a second black eye– Charlotte was angry with him for fighting, Jem was with that beautiful redhead Clary, and Tessa– He stopped. Where was she? Had she heard about the fight? Did she care? Was she worried about him? No, she would worry about Jem, not him.

_I don't deserve her concern,_ he acknowledged. _I don't deserve her anything. _Tessa, with her soft brown hair and her pretty grey eyes, with her sharp wit and her _caring_, all her caring, was too good for him, and he knew it. So innocent, so sweet, so independent. Now, _Clary, _on the other hand… If she saw something in Jace, she couldn't be anywhere near to perfect. Maybe _she_ wouldn't mind his company…_If you know what I mean._


	5. Face Us Like a Man

**Holla! Here we go, next chapter: sorry if anyone, er, gets mad that I'm splitting up our favorite couples... SUCK IT UP. Not much else to say, so please review!**

**Disclaimer: ALL HAIL C SQUARED. I AM NOT WORTHY.**

**One Hour Later**

**Tessa/Isabelle**

Tessa emerged from Isabelle's bedroom feeling very self-conscious. Isabelle had shoved her into one of her many gowns (though Tessa would blush to be in most of them). This one in particular was a rich scarlet, the color of blood or rubies. Her hair was down, curling in loose waves almost to her waist, shining beautifully in the witchlight. Isabelle had put some sort of makeup on her face, and though it was unsettling to see herself so fussed over, Tessa couldn't help but feel… well, beautiful. It embarrassed her to see so much of her skin on display; the front of the dress was cut in a deep V, showing much more smooth pale flesh than Tessa would have liked. Worse, she thought, was that during this thing Isabelle had put her through, neither Will nor Jem ever crossed her mind.

Her thoughts once again deviated from her present situation to the golden angel Jace. He was the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen, all strong muscles and tousled blonde hair. She had seen the way he looked at little redheaded Clary, but she wouldn't let that color her fantasies right now.

"Now I can let you be seen!" Isabelle announced grandly. "Let's go find your boyfriend."

"He's not–" she started, but Isabelle wasn't listening. Rather, she was still talking.

"I don't know where he is, but I bet Jace'll know. We'll find him first." She didn't wait for Tessa to agree; in fact, she hardly seemed to care whether she did or not. _Isabelle is not a girl who will listen to anyone,_ Tessa thought with a sigh. Before she could think anything else, Isabelle stopped and knocked, which surprised Tessa. She rather thought Isabelle would just walk in, but clearly she had respect for Jace.

"Jace, come out! I need to talk to you!"

"No," he answered in a lion's growl. "Leave me alone."

"You can't just mope forever."

"Watch me."

He sounded so much like Will in that moment that Tessa was reminded of the night she had kissed him. She was seized with the same sort of manic strength she had felt that night.

"Jace Herondale," she called, remembering that he was, for all his looks, a relative of Will's, "you stop feeling sorry for yourself and face us like a man!"

Isabelle turned to her, mouth open and eyes wide in astonishment. She probably didn't think Tessa would act like that, and indeed Tessa couldn't believe it either. There was silence from inside, and then the door opened slowly.

**Jace**

Jace opened the door when he heard the warlock girl Tessa yelling at him. He was surprised to say the least: he barely knew this girl, and the only one who ever really yelled at him, besides Maryse, was Clary. That was whom he thought of when the door opened. Izzy was there, but for a second he didn't recognize the brown-haired girl next to her. He heard Tessa's voice, and this girl had Tessa's grey eyes, but otherwise…

"God, Izzy, what did you do to her?"

Izzy looked indignant. "What do you mean, what did I do to her? I made her presentable!"

He dipped his luminous tawny eyes over Tessa. "I think she already was," he muttered. "But I can't deny you have a way with fashion. She does look…"

His voice trailed off as Tessa blushed, her eyes cast to the ground. He didn't mean to embarrass her, but the poor girl didn't look like she got complimented much. She probably didn't, if she hung around that Will for any amount of time. Surprising, really, because she was quite lovely; her hair was soft and curling, her eyes were huge and shadowed with dark lashes, her skin was clear and smooth, and she had a nice hourglass figure that should make any guy fall over their feet to get to her. From what he had heard, she also loved to read, a plus in his book.

_Clary,_ he made himself think. _I love Clary_. For some reason, the words didn't have the same emphatic ring they had always had in the past, and he couldn't stop himself from shooting an approving grin at the stunningly alluring Tessa Gray.

**Clary/Jem**

Clary stood up and stretched. "Not that this hasn't been pleasant, and all, but I'm starving. Come on, let's get breakfast." Her and Jem had been talking for almost an hour, and she found that her original impression had been correct– he was an excellent listener. She was also, however, a great storyteller, and he kept her entertained with stories of London and his native Shanghai.

He stood too. "That would be excellent, if you could be so kind as to show me to the kitchen."

She giggled; his soft-spoken politeness and adorable accent were driving her crazy (in a good way). She realized, almost reluctantly, that he was as good-looking as Jace, if in a different way. Where Jace was all gold and arrogance, Jem was all silver, with such a beautiful soul.

"Clary? Clary? Are you in there?" Jem's voice broke her train of thought. He was hovering in the doorway, concern sketched on his fine-boned features. She shook her head as though to clear it.

"Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, I just got distracted thinking about… something else," she said quickly, not wanting to tell him that at that very moment, she was thoroughly distracted by his mouth: the softness of it, the way his lips fit together so perfectly, the way it quirked up in one corner as though he was perpetually amused. _I wonder how his lips would fit against mine?_

Jem, meanwhile, was staring at Clary with a kind of wonder; he liked the fierceness in her eyes, the passion there. She looked like she was used to getting picked on, and she felt she had something to prove to everyone else. It reminded him of Charlotte, which reminded him of London, which reminded him, once again, that he needed the poison. He didn't want to test how long he could go without it, and already his chest ached.

_I truly must find Will,_ he thought firmly. _I believe he can help me, because if I don't have him, I have nothing._

**Will**

Will took his first steps out of the library, leaving it for the first time in over an hour. He wanted to find that Clary, use her to hurt Jace (hey, no one ever said he was virtuous), but he was also looking for Jem. He wanted to be sure he was quite all right. _Let it never be said I have no heart,_ he thought wryly, looking down at the _parabatai_-binding rune on his right forearm. This distracted him to a degree that he didn't notice the dark-haired man in the hallway until he ran into him full on.

He yelled in surprise, looking into the man's shockingly familiar face. It was Magnus Bane, though he was dressed in such a mad fashion it was almost hard to recognize him. Of course, he had dressed strangely for 1878, but even now he looked like a unicorn ate a rainbow and puked it up all over his shirt; the bright, splashy pattern and all the glitter made Will want to cry.

"Oh, there you are," Magnus said with relief evident in his voice. He held out a leather pouch, and when Will took it, it felt like there was some sort of powder inside.

"What is this?" he asked hesitantly, looking suspiciously at the bag. He had apparently never learned that taking strange substances from warlocks was a bad idea.

"It's for Jem, his… medicine. You don't know what I had to go through to get this, but I've managed to procure enough for about three weeks, so we'd better get you back before then."

Will felt his heart contract, though he didn't entirely know why. "I suppose I should thank you."

"I suppose you should, but don't bother. I'm going to go find my boyfriend now," he said, looking over his shoulder.

Will choked. "Your _what_?"

"Oh, don't be such a prude, Herondale," Magnus said, turning to walk away. "That's what we do in this century, you know."

"Do all men date each other, or are there still uses for women?"

"You are intentionally being a prick. You know what I mean. Have you seen Alec?"

"The Lightwood boy?"

"Yes, with your black hair and pretty blue eyes." Magnus smiled condescendingly; clearly it amused him to see Will imagining that the Lightwoods and Herondales had produced offspring together somewhere along the line. Just the thought made Will shudder, feeling nauseous to think that a child of his mated with a child of Gabriel's. If there were something in his stomach, he would have thrown it up. When he came back to reality, he noted that Magnus was gone, leaving him with a bag of demon poison and an empty heart. _Perfect,_ he thought, and even he didn't know if he was being sarcastic or not.

**Well, there you go. I realize that there are those who WILL be pissed at me for straying from the "but-they're-meant-to-be" love interests C squared has set us up with, and believe me, it's killing me a bit too. Just know that it will all work out in the end, okay? Please don't hate me...**


	6. To Feel Their Lips Meet

**Whoa, here we go! Very groundbreaking stuff, here, I kid you not. Stuff goes further... LOL, you'll see for yourself. Enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: What is it I usually write? Something about C squared? Yeah, that.**

**At Breakfast**

The Institute's kitchen was very crowded that morning: Charlotte and Maryse discussing something in a low voice; Henry intensely fiddling with a piece of machinery; Clary watching as Jem ate a piece of toast; Will watching Clary watch Jem, looking thoroughly annoyed; Tessa shyly flirting with Jace, who was playing it absurdly cool; Isabelle trying to catch Will's attention, though she eventually gave up and left to find Simon; and Alec and Magnus, who had joined them, making out in the corner. Only Robert was not present, as he was out on Clave business.

**Jace and Tessa**

"Well, this is an absurdly popular place," Tessa remarked to no one in particular.

"If you find it too busy, and it is, we can always take our food somewhere else. There's actually somewhere I wanted to show you, and no one'll be there now," Jace offered with a gentle smile. _Why is he being so nice to me?_ Tessa thought. _He's so much like Will, yet Will was hardly anything but cruel to me. Why is Jace different in this one crucial way?_

For his part, Jace felt similarly, just as confused as to where this sudden sweetness had come from. He had only recently learned that no, the part of his heart responsible for loving was _not_ broken, as he had feared, so perhaps that was the reason. He thought it had something to do with Tessa's innocence, the way she acted as though she wasn't accustomed to anyone being nice to her. It's true that Jem was pleasant enough, but _Will_… _I am not going to waste my time with Tessa thinking about William Herondale, relative or not._

He led her through a complicated series of twists and turns in the corridors, eventually coming out to a set of huge wooden doors. "After you, my lady," he said, holding the door open for her and inclining his head.

Tessa grinned. "That's hardly necessary," she retorted, but looked pleased nonetheless. Her expression melted to one of pure astonishment and wonder when she took in the room before her. It was the library, huger and grander than the London one, and absolutely beautiful to Tessa. "How did you know that I…"

"Would want to come here?" He shrugged. "I heard someone telling someone else that you liked to read, and you know how these things travel…" He shot her an amused smirk, wincing a bit, something that was not lost on Tessa.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. She studied Jace's face with steady grey eyes, her hand fluttering up to lightly touch his left eye. "You're getting a black eye," she announced, disgusted. _How on Earth could Will have done this?_ "And you've done nothing to fix it? Why ever not?"

He shrugged again. "It'll heal soon enough."

Accepting this, however unwillingly, Tessa moved to search the shelves for something to read. Jace came up behind her, leaning over slightly to help her search. She didn't know he was so close, so when she turned her head to ask him a question, she was exceedingly surprised to feel their lips meet.

**Clary and Jem**

"Hello, I love you. Won't you tell me your name?" That was the snippet of an old Doors song that played as Clary's ringtone, and she checked her phone impatiently. It was Simon, so she didn't answer; he would just text her. Sure enough, a few moments after the phone stopped ringing, it buzzed and the mail icon showed up on the screen.

_Hey, going out with Izzy, sorry to cancel our plans. See you later, maybe._ Clary texted him back, a quick _okay, thanks for telling me, bye _ before shoving the phone back in her pocket.

Jem was watching her with a curious look on her face. "What was it you were just doing?"

Clary sighed. It would be too complicated to explain. "It doesn't matter. I was just telling my friend Simon that I'll see him later."

"How?"

"Jem, trust me, it would take way too long to tell you." He seemed to accept that explanation, and so just glanced down at the sketchpad Clary was absent-mindedly doodling on. "Do you like to draw?"

"Oh, yes, more than anything."

"May I… see? One of your drawings, that is?" She hesitated for a minute; her drawings were like a diary to her, saying everything she didn't have words for. Then again, this was _Jem_. It couldn't do any harm. She nodded, opened to a random page, and slid the paper across the table to him.

Clary loved watching the expressions flit across his face as he took in her artistic ability, which was, not to be immodest, quite extensive. The drawing in question was one of Jace on the roof, with a pair of wings, looking as though the ten-story drop to the ground was a personal challenge.

"I know that look on his face!" Jem exclaimed. "That's the same look Will always has before he does something idiotic. It looks like someone said 'I bet you can't so this', and they take it as a personal insult their self-worth. The only ones they're proving wrong are themselves, of course, but they do enjoy a challenge."

Clary nodded. "You just described Jace perfectly." After a beat, she asked, "Jem?"

"Yes?"

"Would you let me draw you?"

**Will, Alec and Magnus**

_Damn it_, Will thought as he watched Clary and Jem flirting suspiciously. It was rare to see Jem so involved with someone he had barely met, but then again, he was a very friendly person. _There goes that plan. Who does Jace care about if not Clary? She's clearly busy, and it's a sure bet he is too._ He thought of the radiant Isabelle, whom he had seen in passing. She was like a sister to Jace, he could see that clearly. He wondered if that would piss him off. _It better, or I'm screwed. _

He found himself thinking, almost longingly– though that was of course ridiculous– of Tessa. Her laugh, her beautiful eyes, that funny look on her face when she corrected him… _Why can't I stop thinking about her? Surely I don't– No, that's absurd. I care no more for her than for, say, Charlotte. It must be these devils in my head, the ones that always make me want exactly what I can't have. I didn't want her when she wanted me, but now that she's so enamored of Jace, I suddenly want her. How excellent._

He decided to wander around, see if he could find Isabelle. Instead, he just walked into someone's bedroom, but it wasn't empty. Magnus was there, shirtless, tightly wrapped around that Lightwood boy, the one with Will's raven-black hair and brilliant blue eyes. He, too, was lacking in clothing. "By the Angel!" Will yelled, followed by some words that, if Charlotte were present, would get him in so much trouble he would never again see the light of day.

"Oh, hello, Will," Magnus said pleasantly, making no move to recover his shirt. The Lightwood boy, on the other hand, blushed a deep scarlet and hastened to throw his clothes back on. "Will, this is Alec. Alec, meet Will Herondale."

Alec, looking thoroughly embarrassed, held out a hand to shake Will's. Will recoiled, saying, "I knew your great-great-grandfather, Lightwood. I'm not touching you."

Alec shrugged, looking confused, while Magnus sighed in an exasperated manner. "William, Alec is nothing like Gabriel. Relax, why don't you? Don't forget what I told you earlier." He winked smarmily, and Will shuddered.

"I was trying to repress the memory. Thank you for bringing it back to the front of my mind."

"You're very welcome," Magnus said with a grin. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, Alec and I were busy. Kindly get your adorable little ass out the door."

"Language," Will scolded in a singsong voice, but he left, smirking when Magnus flipped him off.

**Jace and Tessa**

The third kiss in Tessa's life. This was her third kiss, and it was by far the best. Not that Will didn't have skill or experience, because he did– though Jace had them too– but Will was more rough, taking instead of giving. Jace knew exactly how to make her happy, make her get that fluttery, warm glow inside of her. He seemed to be enjoying himself as well, and it was the symbiotic relationship that made the kiss worth it.

With a small groan, Jace pulled away. His eyes were blazing such a bright gold that it was hard to look at him; he looked like the sun itself was glowing there. "Tessa," he breathed, "maybe we shouldn't–"

Instead of letting him answer, Tessa just crushed her lips to his again. The feeling was so comfortable and pleasant that she could have stayed there forever. Indeed, he didn't seem to want to move either, and his lips moved in sync with hers for a few minutes longer. The next time he separated them, though, he took a step back.

"I mean it. We shouldn't, not here."

"But…" Tessa could feel the places on her body where he had just been growing cold from the lack of his body heat. "Do you mean that we shouldn't be doing this, or we shouldn't be doing it _here_?"

Jace almost let out another groan. The girl was almost insatiable, and he wanted to satisfy her in whatever manner she pleased. She was a sweet, smart, beautiful girl, and though he knew Shadowhunters had no business messing around with warlocks, or Downworlders in general– though the Angel knows Isabelle had broken _that_ enough times– he couldn't help but want more of her. He was sure she wouldn't giver herself to him, not fully. She was very proper, and from a time period where pleasure like that branded one a whore.

_Of course, no one in their right mind could think Tessa was a whore, but that didn't really matter to anyone. Sex equals whore, no questions asked. Besides, I barely know her. Not that that's stopped me before, of course, but…_ He had to stop thinking, because thinking about Tessa in that way started making him feel… uncomfortable, using one sense of the word. A few minutes alone would fix that, but she wasn't going to give him that.

He took one last look into her face: her eyes wide and soft, her cheeks as red as he was sure his were, and her lips swollen. That was it. He had no more coherent thoughts after that, because he was too wrapped up in Tessa.

**Clary and Jem**

Jem sat in the window, reading. Clary told him to just relax, and reading kept him sitting still, so that was what he did. He opened _A Tale of Two Cities_ and started reading while Clary drew him. He could feel the heat of her gaze resting on him, both in a critical, artistic manner and in another way, a way that almost made him blush. He liked it, though.

"Okay, done," she announced some time later– he didn't know much time had passed. He marked his page and stood, heading over to the drawing Clary had done of him.

His first thought was, _wow. That is extraordinarily well done._ His second thought was, _do I truly look so tired and sad?_ It was true; Clary's drawing was like looking into a mirror, and he saw the dark circled under his eyes, the downward tilt to his mouth, though it was possible it was because he was concentrating on the book. It wasn't a happy story, and he noticed Will often frowned when he read. It was possible he did the same.

Clary thought she could read his mind. "You look like that when you read, like the troubles of others make you sad. Didn't you know?"

He shook his head and smiled. "Now I do."

She cocked her head and looked at him curiously. _Does anything ever faze you, Jem? Do you ever get angry?_ She didn't much care one way or the other, but it might be amusing to see him get angry for once, or at least show some sort of strong emotion. _I wonder what he would do if I…_

Quickly, she leaned in and kissed him. She wanted to see what he would do, but she also did want to kiss him, and it was every bit as sweet as she hoped. He was gentle and warm, caring, giving, sharing. It was not a passionate kiss, but Clary had enough passion. Now she wanted slow and sweet, and that was exactly what Jem gave her.

**! Mad kissing going on here! By the way, when Jace says he feels "uncomfortable" and that "a few minutes alone would fix that," who knows what he means? If you don't, preserve your innocence. If you do, here's a shovel to help get your mind out of the gutter. And if you find mine, bring it back. :) Yeah, it was kinda dirty, but, you know, it's JACE we're talking about here.**


	7. Playing With Fire

**Yeah, here you go. Now, IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM ME TO YOU: I love all of you, especially those who have put this on Story Alert. Great, thanks, but DO NOT do that without reviewing! You have no idea how much easier it is to write when I have people telling me the pros and cons of my writing abilities/story line. I appreciate that you like the story, but REVIEW, damn it! Otherwise I'll– I'll– I'll kill off Jem! Yeah, that's what I'll do!**

**Disclaimer: Cassie Clare owns the characters, but the story is mine, all mine! Mwah-ha-ha-ha!**

**Another Hour Later**

**Isabelle and Will**

Isabelle impatiently listened to Simon explaining something and changed her mind about spending the _whole day_ with him. He could be great, but sometimes… She didn't want to deal with him right now. She felt the old itch for something exciting and new, and Simon turned out to be neither of those.

At the next quiet part of the conversation, she stood up. "Sorry, Simon," she began, because she didn't want to hurt him, "I forgot I have something to do at the Institute. I'll see you later, I guess."

He nodded, acting as though he expected it. She bent to give him a kiss on the cheek before flying out the door of the little coffee shop they were in. She almost ran to the Institute, where she was sure she could find _something_ to do. She went first to the kitchen, hoping there would be someone there to talk to.

There was, but it wasn't Clary or Jace, which was who she was expecting. The boy turned around– he had been facing away from her– and she recognized him as Will Herondale, Jace's great-great-grandfather or something. For such an old guy, he was gorgeous, with ink-black hair that fell into his midnight blue eyes in just the right way. He was neither safe nor boring, she recognized.

"Hello," he said a little awkwardly in his British accent, something Isabelle thought was incredibly sexy. "You're Isabelle, aren't you?"

_He remembers my name. Good sign. _"Yeah," she said in a would-be casual tone. "And you're Will."

He seemed as pleased that she knew his name as she was to learn he knew hers. "Glad to hear that _someone_ around here hasn't forgotten me so quickly," he muttered, a tad darkly.

She put a hand on her hip and cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"My best friend has abandoned me and the girl I might possibly care for is enamored of another." This came out in such a rush it was hard to pick out individual words, but Isabelle managed. It was like he was embarrassed to have thought about things of such a personal nature. _How very like Jace,_ she thought, before it hit her: Will wasn't just like Jace. Jace was just like Will.

Forgetting about Jace, Isabelle shot Will her patented winning smile, the vixenesque grin no boy had ever before resisted. He was not immune either, it seemed, though the smoldering look he gave her almost made her melt. He was a master, she acknowledged. She was playing with fire. _Fire is hot,_ she thought, before crossing the remaining steps to Will and letting him make the next move. Luckily– or perhaps unluckily– he did.

**Jace**

Jace lay in his bed, fully clothed, staring at the ceiling. Being with Tessa was… intoxicating, like she was a drug he needed to stay alive. She released a new set of feelings into his bloodstream, something suspiciously like lust and desire. He had desired girls before, of course, but that was because they were beautiful. Tessa was gorgeous, but her mind was what held the allure for Jace.

He had since relieved himself of the pressure that had been building in his lower belly from the moment he saw her in that dress, but even that wasn't enough to fully clear his head. He couldn't get her out of his mind. It had been like this when he first met Clary, too, but that seemed a distant memory after the events in the library. He had kissed her for almost three-quarters of an hour, a glorious forty-five minutes he would never really forget. She had been so shy at the beginning, with little knowledge of how to kiss, but Jace liked to think he had changed that, just a bit. The best part was, she would be here for two weeks; he could have her as much as he wanted, if she permitted of course.

_Who could possibly turn me down?_ he wondered, before remembering that for a long time, Clary had done just that.

**Jem and Clary**

Jem pulled away from the little redhead with a small gasp. "Angel, I can't seem to… catch my breath…" It had been an hour since Clary had leaned in and kissed him, and he was perfectly fine with it. He was a bit surprised; she had claimed to be in love with the blonde Jace, and if she saw something in _him_, what did she see in Jem? Was she doing this just to make her boyfriend jealous? If so, it wasn't working. Jem hadn't seen Jace or Tessa in over an hour, since they left the kitchen together.

All Tessa-Jace business aside, Jem was enjoying himself. Will had brought him the poison, which woke him up like nothing else ever could. Ironically, the drug made him feel more alive than ever, or maybe it was Clary making him feel that way. She had to be at least a foot shorter than him, but her fierceness made her seem taller. She was very much like Charlotte in that way.

Jem saw a grin flash across Clary's face almost involuntarily; he was glad she was happy. _It would seem I am not doing as badly as I feared._ He wouldn't dream of telling Clary, but this was his first kiss. Even Will didn't know the extent of Jem's innocence. People always assumed that since Will was so immoral, and Jem hung around with him, Jem must be immoral too. Jem did not know how many times he had to explain to skeptics that, "_Just because I am friends with Will does not mean I join him in his sinful endeavors."_

He had caught his breath, finally. With a shy smile, he leaned forward again. Clary wound her arms around his neck and met him halfway, lips pressing together again and again.

**Magnus and Alec**

Magnus sighed contentedly and pulled the sheets up around his sleeping boyfriend. The two of them were thankful for the Institute's dozens of empty bedrooms, because it meant they could be together with the risk of being caught much smaller.

He shot a glance at the dozing Alec; _he's beautiful when he's sleeping,_ he thought. _Actually, he's always beautiful. Black hair and blue eyes are my favorite combination._

It was true. Magnus's very first lover had been a nixie girl, ribbon-slim and delicate with a cascade of velvety black hair. Her eyes had been entirely ice-blue, without iris or pupil. Of course, he preferred blue eyes that were darker, like Alec's, which were the color of bottle glass, or even Will's, the color of the night sky in Hell.

Damn… Will. He was something else. Face like a bad angel, manners of a demon. He could almost be a faerie with a combination like that. _His personality is insufferable,_ Magnus declared in his head, _but his looks…_ He had always been the type of man to love a beautiful thing for its beauty alone, and Will Herondale was, for all his faults, beautiful. The shining blackness of his hair, the depth in his eyes, his porcelain skin and ridged lines of muscle… The thought of him no longer took Magnus's breath away, as it once did, but he couldn't deny the attraction the boy held.

_Stop it,_ he reprimanded himself. _You are in bed with your boyfriend, whom you adore. You should not be thinking about Will's eyes, however lovely they may be. You love Alec. _He did. He loved Alec more than he had ever loved anyone or anything, and he did not love Will.

_He has pretty eyes, that it all. Discussion over._

**Don't worry. Magnus ISN'T leaving Alec for Will. I cannot go that far.**


	8. Suspiciously Chummy

**Sorry this took so long! At first I was just lazy, and then I had no inspiration, then I got sick... Well, it's here now. The entire thing is in Magnus's POV.**

**Disclaimer: Cassie Clare owns the characters, and Shakespeare owns the quote.**

**Magnus**

I woke up after a short nap and, as always, it took me a minute to remember where I was. I'm not a morning person… I don't care if it _is_ close to noon. That's still morning. As usual, I turned to my right to make sure there was someone there. I rarely go to bed alone. Anyway, I was more than pleased to see Alec's sleeping face.

I know his face like the back of my own hand. His tousled jet-black hair that falls so perfectly over his bottle-blue eyes, high cheekbones, porcelain skin with just a spot of color high in the cheeks, and, of course, those _lips._ Soft and pink with that little divot in the middle, they fit so beautifully against my own. He tasted like honey and sunshine. Not that sunshine has a taste, per se, but if it did…

I didn't know what to do. I had three options: go back to sleep, which was unlikely at this point, wake Alec up for some more fun, though I don't want to overload him so early in our relationship, or get up. As unsavory as the idea was, I didn't really have a choice. With a sigh, I stood and dressed in the clothes I had arrived at the Institute in: black jeans and my favorite turquoise shirt.

I kissed Alec on the forehead and muttered a goodbye. I knew he wouldn't mind. I usually had to leave while he was asleep. Maryse didn't openly object to our relationship, but I knew she wouldn't be happy if she caught us in bed together.

Knowing the Institute almost as well as Alec's face, I was able to creep through the corridors with ease. I had to pass a few crucial rooms on my way out: the library, Izzy's bedroom and the kitchen. When I had passed those, I was free.

It took about two minutes to get to the library. With just a hint of morbid curiosity, I peeked inside: empty. Damn. I almost hoped Jace and Tessa were still in there. Those two really needed to learn a lesson. Tessa needed to figure out that it wasn't worth wringing her heart out over Will until he was ready to love her, and Jace needed to relax about Clary. He was too overprotective of her, because he "loved her" or something. I've been in love enough times to recognize the real thing when I see it, and they have it, but he needed to _chill._

Ah, well. I've done all I can with them, and all I can say is they had better appreciate the work I've put into it. Clary, Jem and Will, too. They all have such tangled love lives and such _problems_. The worst part was that they thought they were fine, that they were doing all right. No, they weren't. Clary is hopelessly infatuated with Jace, and frankly it's annoying. Jem, of course, is too big of a coward to tell Tessa how he feels, and Will doesn't know how to love, yet.

After they've completed my little experiment, they'd better have figured it out. As unwilling (and unknowing) lab rats as they were, they would have to learn the hard way: enchantment. Magic.

After this little soliloquy, I made it to Izzy's room. She was out with Simon, last I heard, so no point in stopping here. Except… I _did_ stop, because I ran into Will Herondale. Again. This time, though, he was just coming out of Izzy's room– at eleven in the morning– and _ohmyGod he's not wearing a shirt._

"Will!" I said, shocked. "What– what are you doing?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," he said smoothly, but I can spot a lie a mile away, and his eyes were a little too clear to be truthful. Knowing I would never get a straight answer from him, I pushed past him into the perpetually messy bedroom of Isabelle Lightwood. She was in bed, and when I burst in, she yelped and pulled a sheet over her naked torso.

"Magnus! I thought you were with Alec?"

"I thought you were with Simon," I said, dazed. I expected no better from Will, but– "Izzy, you have a boyfriend."

She waved her hand irritably. "He doesn't need to know. We're not exclusive, anyway." This sounded like a terrible excuse, and she knew it, by the reddening of her cheeks.

"I just thought you had better sense," I forced out before leaving the room, not even stopping to berate Will.

Will and Izzy had sex… oh, God, and it wasn't even my fault. I did mess with Will, but I didn't think that he could sink this low, and I didn't mess with Izzy at all…

You see, when everyone first arrived, I got the idea that now was the perfect time for the five of them to learn their respective lessons about love. I put an… enchantment on each of them. For Clary and Jace, I made them forget most of the feelings they had for the other. I made Jem brave about coming forth with his feelings. I made Will, the devil, more willing to commit to another. I had hoped it would be Tessa, but obviously not. Tessa, well, I dropped her feelings for Will and replaced them with attraction to Jace.

The spell was activated this morning, when they woke up, and so far the results had been quite entertaining. Amusement aside, I was confident that my plan would succeed, and so far it has. God, I can't even think about it anymore, because the thought of Will and Izzy was still making me sick. Will knew there was a chance that somewhere in his future, one of his descendents would have a child with one of the Lightwoods, making him possibly related to Alec and Izzy. That didn't stop him. I was thoroughly disgusted, though it was no worse when Jace and Clary thought they were brother and sister…

I was able to live off these thoughts alone until I passed the kitchen. In the small alcove off the kitchen sat Jem and Clary, looking suspiciously chummy. They didn't kiss, but his hand was on her knee and she kept giggling. They were having a grand old time, whatever they were talking about, and honestly, I didn't want to know what they were discussing.

Thank God I didn't see anyone else on my way out. I didn't think my heart could take it, watching more Shadowhunters in love, or what they thought was love. It was enough to make you want to cry, either in disgust or wistfulness. Being the romantic that I was, I was inclined that my proverbial tears were because I currently wasn't with the love of my life. No, I had to work, and try and get the London Shadowhunters and Tessa back home.

I got back to my place, barely keeping Chairman Meow from running outside, and headed to my desk. As I usually did, I wrote out a quote to send him. He loved little things like that, little bits of poetry or prose to remind him of me. This time I chose: "One half of me is yours, the other half yours– mine own, I would say; but if mine, than yours, and so all yours!" Shakespeare wrote such great stuff, and I felt this particular bit perfectly conveyed how I felt about Alec: I belonged to him, completely and forever.

With a snap of my fingers, the paper disappeared, appearing (as I knew it would) on his bedside table for him to find when he woke up. It carried the poetry, but it also carried my love. _Love you, Alec._ I could almost hear his whispered _I love you, Magnus,_ which would have to be good enough for now.

**Is any of this confusing? Just so I know, I mean. Any questions, just message me. Or leave them in the review, which YOU WILL BE LEAVING.**


	9. More Than Tired

**I know, I know, I haven't updated in FOREVER. Hey, I had a friend's birthday, a different friend's graduation, a History term paper, two Anatomy projects, the SATs, a dance recital... I've been busy! I know, no excuse and all that, but... It's here now! Thanks to Pyro Band Ninja for the idea on what to do here. Love you, PBN. Thanks to all the people who put this on Alert, now please REVIEW, you fools!**

**Disclaimer: Thanks again to the fantabulous Cassie Clare, who is my personal hero for giving me such amazing characters.**

**Five Days Later**

The next five days passed in a blur for everyone. Few things changed: Jace and Tessa spent increasingly long periods of time in the library together, and nobody quite knew what was going on there; Clary did a few more sketches of Jem, finding him a quite agreeable subject; and Charlotte took the opportunity to venture forth into the metropolis of New York, relishing her lack of responsibility. Will and Isabelle kept away from each other, only managing a blush and a weak "hello" when they passed in the halls. In fact, Will found himself more and more drawn to the library, disregarding Jace but hoping to catch Tessa's eye. He didn't know what he would say if she met his gaze, but as it turned out, it didn't matter; she ignored him with practiced skill.

"Tessa," he said quietly, when he was unable to bear her cold shoulder any longer. "Tessa, please talk to me."

She looked up, surprised but disdainful. "I was not aware that you sought my attention, William," she said coolly.

"I– I just wanted to– to apologize, you know, for what I said before we got stuck in this God awful city–"

"This 'God awful' city is my home. Kindly leave me to my book, if you please."

"You're stubbornly refusing to see my point, I see."

"If your point is to berate me about my hometown while trying to make light of the words you flung so callously, I think I have taken your point quite handily. I do not wish to speak to you about any of that, nor do I want you to bother me with your presence any longer," she said angrily, standing up.

Will dipped his head in admitted defeat and left, retreating to the other end of the great library. _I should have known,_ he cursed silently. _After what I said… Such things are not so easily forgiven, and– and I screwed her over. _He thought back to those words: _Jem cares more for me than for you, because you are not even human, as I am. Demons cannot love, nor do they deserve to be loved._

He winced. In the harsh reality of the present, he realized how unnecessarily cruel he had been, all because he couldn't find it in his heart to admit his own feelings. _I am the demon,_ he thought furiously. _Hurting an innocent girl for no reason other than because I could. If demons can love, then truly I am one. _What had Magnus once said about him? 'Eyes like the night sky in Hell.' _How fitting._

**Kitchen**

"Oh, no, not again. Clary, I'm so sorry," Jem said, upset that he had once again knocked something to the floor from the kitchen counter. She just laughed.

"You're more uncoordinated than I am, and that's saying something," she teased. "Must be my presence distracting you, right?"

"Must be," he muttered, secretly worrying that it was something else. He held out an arm to see it shake; in fact, most of his body was trembling slightly, like he was shivering. He felt an ache in his chest and head, which was how _it_ began– an attack. _I should find Will…_

That thought slipped from his head when Clary smiled and pushed her flaming curls away from those brilliant emerald eyes. She was just so _pretty,_ with her vampire-pale skin and a spray of freckles across her nose… Never mind that she was a foot shorter than him.

"You're staring at me," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, I am," he said, not embarrassed in the slightest.

"May I ask why?"

"No, I think it's best if you didn't."

"Come on, tell me."

"I like to look at you," Jem said with a shrug. She blushed. "You see, that's why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you'd blush."

She started to blush red again, but instead frowned and leaned closer to him. "You're really pale. Are you feeling all right?"

_No. It feels like my brain is swelling._ "I'm just a bit tired."

"Looks like you're more than tired."

Technically, telling her he was tired wasn't a lie; he had hardly slept the night before. It was only a lie of emission, because that wasn't the whole picture. "Sorry, it's the truth."

As though to punish him for the lie, his whole frame shuddered with a cough that threatened to crack his ribcage. Every time he tried to draw breath, he exploded with more hacking coughs that made his throat burn and his lungs feel like he was drowning.

Clary jumped up from her perch on a chair and ran to him, putting a hand to his chest. "Jem, what's wrong?" she asked hysterically, frantically swiveling her head to look for someone. He just shook his head, unable to talk. He felt blood rising and tried to cover his mouth with his hand, but he was a bit late. Some of the scarlet liquid stained his fingertips, but much spattered across Clary's face, now shockingly white.

He felt his knees buckle and he fell to the floor, leaning his upper body against the cabinets behind him. Clary knelt beside him, unsure of what to do but knowing she should do something. He was quivering like he had a fever, and his face was flushed, though the rest of his skin had turned icy. _Do I keep him warm, or cool? Should I get help? WHAT DO I DO?_

She decided that she did need Will, or Charlotte, Tessa, someone, anyone who had a chance of helping him. He grabbed her arm. "Don't– go–" he choked out, meeting her eyes. She gasped; his were no longer mercury-silver as she was now accustomed, but were almost white, black specks of pupils like ash on snow.

"I have to, I have to find help, I can't do anything," she sobbed, feeling tears stream down her face.

"Don't leave me," he whispered, and she didn't have to heart to refuse him.

**Library**

From his place in the library, Will suddenly felt his arm burning. Swearing, he checked it and realized the blistering heat was emanating off of his _parabatai_ rune. He had never experienced anything like that before, but he knew it couldn't be good.

He ran to the door, where he bumped into Jace, scowling and blocking the exit.

"I heard you and Tessa, and I hope you won't hurt her again," he said with a stony expression. Will was furious.

"Who cares about that now, I need to get out?"

"Why? What is so important that you can't hear me out?"

"It's Jem!" Will yelled, arms waving wildly. "There's something wrong, and if you don't get out of my way right now, I will kill you where you stand. I can't lose him, okay?" Jace stepped aside, looking quite taken aback at Will's vehemence as the dark-haired boy flew past him. He had to find Jem before time ran out.

**Kitchen**

Clary had her arms around Jem, trying to keep him warm with her own body heat. She felt him lose consciousness, sliding sideways to rest on his back, breathing shallowly. "Jem, Jem, what's wrong," she mumbled to herself, keeping one hand over his racing heart. She felt the rhythm become more erratic, like a bird's, much too quick. Under her fingers, she felt the beat even out, and then… nothing. His heart had stopped beating.

**Er, sorry for the cliffhanger.**


	10. One Person in Two Bodies

**Here we go! Sorry if you all hate me, I just had to do it. Here is a sort of resolution to the last problem, but it creates a new problem as well. Again, no hating.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these bros.**

**Not Five Minutes Later**

Will came barreling into the kitchen, which was the last place he knew Jem had been. He was there, on the floor, lying horribly still. He was pale, so pale, and Clary was hunched over him, sobbing her heart out. She looked up when he came in.

"Will! Will, help him, I don't know what to do–"

"You should have come and found me, it could be too late!" he yelled, hastening to Jem's side.

"He didn't want me to leave him!"

"And I'm sure he doesn't want me to save him, but that's what I'm doing, isn't it?" He curled his hand into a fist and pounded Jem's chest, once, twice, three times. Still his heart remained still.

Clary gasped as a sudden image flared in her mind: an intricate circle of curling vines. She frantically searched her person for a stele, but she did not have one. Will had one in his belt, she saw, and she grabbed it.

"What are you doing?" he screamed, but she ignored him and traced the rune right over Jem's unbeating heart. _Come on, come on, come on,_ she thought desperately, needing it to work, needing him to be all right–

Jem gave a great shuddering gasp, and Will felt a wonderfully strong rhythm begin under his palm. "Jem! You– you're– I– Oh, Jem," was all he could say as he threw his arms around the barely conscious boy. He let out a sob; he had _never_ been so close to losing Jem as he had at that moment, and he mentally couldn't handle it. He forgot that Clary was there, that they were in a kitchen, that they were across the sea in an unfamiliar Institute in a different time period– there was just Will and Jem, together, tears on both of their faces.

Clary turned away, feeling the moment should be private between the _parabatai._ It was strange to her, the relationship they had: brothers but not brothers, something closer.

"You thought I was going to die," she heard Jem whisper.

"No," Will replied forcibly. "Because if you die, I die. Our souls are knit. We are one person, James."

"One person in two bodies."

_Yes,_ Clary thought. _That's it. One person in two bodies. That would be it._ It still bemused her, because she had never seen Jace and Alec act that way toward each other. Perhaps it was because they never worried nearly as much about each other. Perhaps it was the look on Will's face when he saw Jem's body, like all of his very worst fears had just been realized.

"Well, if you two're done hugging and crying, should we tell everyone else what's going on?" she asked. Both boys' head snapped toward her.

"Clary! Will told me… you _saved_ me. I would be dead– well, still dead– if not for you. I can't ever thank you enough. How did you do it, by the way? I've heard you have power over runes… what was the one you put on me?"

"I just made it up," she admitted. "It means 'to bring back from the brink of death.'"

"But I was already dead."

"I guess you weren't dead enough," Will shrugged, still looking hopelessly relived. "Come, then, let's go. Jem–" He helped Jem to his feet and supported him as they headed to the middle of things– the library.

Tessa sat and worried in the library. She worried for Jem, of course, but strangely enough she worried more for Will. She knew how much it would destroy him if anything happened to Jem. They were one person, and splitting them apart… She didn't think Will could handle it. She thought might die himself.

She thought of Will, how he looked when he yelled at Jace to get out of the way. She thought of how his cheekbones were flushed red with passion, how his eyes blazed with blue flames, how his dark locks fell over his forehead just so.

She looked over at Jace, sitting in the window, his hair a brilliant halo of molten gold. His eyes shone like a lion's. He seemed unconcerned about the fate of Will and Jem, though why shouldn't he? He had punched Jem and didn't much care for his ancestor Will, either.

"Jace," she called softly. He whirled in her direction, a smile playing about his lips.

"Yes, Tessa?"

"I–" She bit her lip. "Could you help me– find Will and Jem?"

"I can't imagine anyone _wanting_ to find Will, but if you're so desperate to find your Jem, I'll help."

Tessa felt her temper flare. "Should I not care for him? He was the only one to be kind to me when I went to London. I love him." As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. She did love Jem, but she didn't quite know in what way she loved him. The look on Jace's face made up her mind; there was to be no more talk of loving Jem while he was around.

"Oh, Jace, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, it's just–"

"No, it's fine. You love him. Great. Let's go find him so you can tell him, eh?"

She got angry again. Aunt Harriet would be ashamed. "Jace Herondale, you stop that! Jem is a good friend of mine, and it would sadden me deeply to see him hurt? Have you no friends? Do you not realize what this means? I love him, yes, but it's entirely possible to love more than one person at a time! Now, if you'll kindly assist me, I should like to find Jem and see if he is quite all right!"

Jace looked mildly impressed at her outburst. "By all means, let's go." They hastened into the hall, where by chance they ran into Will, Jem and Clary.

"Jem! You're all right!" Tessa cried, moving to throw her arms around him, but then she looked at how frail he looked and hesitated. He shot her a small smile, as though to say "later" so she hugged Will instead. He looked shocked.

"Tess," he murmured. "Why are you–"

"You saved Jem. Besides, you're the same person anyway. What is done to you is done to the other. I can't hug Jem, so I'll settle for you.

"Settle? All I am is settled for?" He sighed. "I didn't save Jem. That was Clary. But I appreciate the gesture nonetheless.

"You'll probably appreciate this one more," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. The imprint of her lips seemed to burn on his face.

"I– I don't quite know what to do," he told her quietly. "We need to get Jem settled down before anything else."

_How odd,_ Tessa thought. _I was ready to kill him this morning, but now… I look at him, and I just want to hold him and never let go. I don't know where that came from. Do I… love him? No, no, I love Jem and Jace. Will does not factor in. _Even so, her gaze lingered on his mouth for much longer than was proper and her thoughts never strayed from the look on his face when she kissed him.

**By the way, I got the idea for Clary's rune from the Resurrection Stone in Harry Potter 7. I can't take credit.**


	11. Beginning Again

**Well, here we go. Don't know what else to say... Just please review!**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING.**

**Three Days Later**

The next three days were relatively uneventful, at least compared to Jem's episode. Clary, though embarrassed about it, was hailed as something of a hero to all the members of the Institute, Londoners and New Yorkers alike. Tessa especially seemed to warm up considerably to her, though they hardly said three words to each other before.

The one person who seemed completely unconcerned about the whole thing was Jace. He was less than ecstatic that Jem had returned to the land of the living, though he was happy for Tessa's sake. Strangely enough, he thought, he was pleased that it was Clary– _his_ Clary, he rather thought– who had invented the rune that saved Jem. "To bring back from the brink of death" was an incredibly useful rune, and Jace had to be proud.

Will, as was to be expected, was nothing short of euphoric about the ordeal. He refused to come down from his high, instead spending as much time as he could with Jem, talking and laughing. They both remembered the times they used to hide away in secluded corners of the library and do just this, chat without interruption. Of course, once Tessa had shown up they had all but separated; this newest miracle reminded them exactly how much they needed each other.

Tessa was often a part of these meetings, adding her own sense of humor and take on things to the mix. She had been growing increasingly irritated with Jace's inability to take this seriously, and though she still felt strong feelings toward him, she pushed past them and stayed at Jem's side… and Will's.

Neither she nor Will had brought up the almost-kiss they shared the day Jem was saved. Her face still burned to think of it, partly in embarrassment but mostly because she hadn't lost the uncontrollable urge to kiss him. She didn't know that he hadn't lost it either, that he had _never_ lost it. He loved her as he had since they met, and nothing– not her affair with Jace, nor his escapade with Isabelle– had changed it.

That day, the trio met at the scene of all the drama– the kitchen. "Again with the kitchens," Jem said as he stepped in, looking around. "I haven't had the best experiences with them, I admit."

Will shrugged and sat on the counter, Jem beside him. Tessa perched on a wooden chair as a voice rang out forcefully from the doorway.

"Jesus!" It was Magnus, showing his face for the first time in days. He was looking at Jem with an expression that could only be described as pure astonishment. Jem blinked.

"No, but I've been told the resemblance is stunning," he said, confused.

"Well, not quite Jesus. Lazarus, maybe, raised from the dead. So I hear Miss Clary played God, did she? Rolled away the stone? Where is she?"

Will pointed in the general direction of Clary's bedroom. "That way, I believe."

Magnus took a step toward Jem instead. "You're healthy, then? Nothing weird going on?"

Jem shrugged. "Not healthy, but the same as I was before."

"Eating, I hope? Getting plenty of rest?"

"Yes. Will has seen to that."

"Well, all right, then." Without another word, Magnus swept from the room.

"Odd man, isn't he?" Jem asked after a moment of silence. "Has he always been so mad?"

"Yes," Will and Tessa said firmly in unison. They grinned, remembering his outfit at de Quincey's party. Tessa then grimaced, thinking of her brother, while Will winced, thinking of their fervent kiss in the attic, where she was grief-stricken and he was covered in blood and holy water. Oddly enough, the memory stirred a heat somewhere in his chest, making him slightly breathless.

Jem looked back and forth between Tessa and Will, bemused. He knew there had been something between them, and now, it appeared, something was beginning again.

**Outside, in the Institute Courtyard**

Clary was not, as Will predicted, in her bedroom. It was true that she had been avoiding everyone lately, sick to death of all the attention she got just because she drew the picture in her head– a picture, she reminded herself, that wouldn't even be there if Valentine hadn't dosed her with angel blood. She _had_ taken shelter in her room quite a bit, but today she went out into the Institute's courtyard, needing fresh air. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, listening to the dull buzz of traffic.

She didn't know how long it was before a raindrop hit her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open sand she hopped up, swearing quietly. She turned to go back in, but Jace was blocking the exit, leaning against the doorframe.

"Clary. I haven't had a chance to talk to you for a while."

A few more drops fell from the sky, dampening Clary's hair. "That's because you've been locked in the library with Tessa Gray. Were you looking for me?"

"You've been locked away with your Jem."

"That didn't answer my question, and he's not "my" Jem." It was the first time Clary even entertained that thought, but she realized it was true; Jem was not _hers_, just as she was not his. Sure, she had saved his life, but anyone in her position would have done the same. "If anything, he's Will's Jem."

Jace groaned. "_Don't_ say that name in my presence,"

Clary grinned. "What, Will?"

He flinched as though every mention of Will's name was an icy needle being plunged into skin somewhere on his body. In fact, Clary thought she could sympathize; it was raining pretty heavily now, and she was steadily getting soaked. "Look, just get out of the doorway so that I can get in, all right?"

"No, I don't think I will, thanks." He wore the classic Jace look, that infuriating amusement at others' pain.

"What do you want?"

"Tone," he reprimanded in a singsong voice, unsticking himself from the doorframe and striding into the downpour to stand in front of Clary. "What's up with you and Jem?"

She laughed almost involuntarily. "Me and Jem? Why?"

He grabbed her upper arms as she showed signs of wanting to duck around him and leave. "Because I need to know."

This aggravated her. "No, you don't _need to know._ You don't _own_ me, Jace! What I do, and who I do it with, is my own business."

"And what exactly did you get up to?"

"We kissed! That was all! Do you even know me at all? God, what do you take me for? What did _you_ get up to with Tessa?"

"Just kissing," Jace said, slightly mollified, but Clary kept on.

"Then what right do you have to berate me for doing the same thing?"

"I wasn't _berating_ you, but I know teenage guys a lot better than you do! Honestly, I don't trust you with any of them!"

"He's not you, Jace, he's not going to try any of that, okay?"

"He's not me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that we all know how far _you've_ gotten with God knows how many girls! I'm not going to let you stand here and–" Jace never found out what Clary wasn't going to let him do, because he bent down and crushed his lips to hers. She kissed back fiercely, her previous passion redirected to the heat building between them. It was so _right_, and neither Tessa nor Jem crossed their minds. Their minds were full of each other as they stood outside and kissed in the rain.


	12. Blissful Oblivion

**Sorry it's been so long, I was in Vermont and I didn't have a chance to put this up before I left. Here you go, and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, as per usual.**

**The Next Day**

After the previous day, everything had essentially gone back to normal. Jace locked his bedroom door– but this time Clary was with him, not Tessa– and Jem spent more and more time in the library as Will and Tessa chatted amicably. It wasn't as though he thought he wasn't wanted, but Jem saw the sparks of something between his best friend and the warlock girl, and he was careful not to tread too close for fear of stamping out the flame.

It was in the library where Jem had his first real conversation with Alec Lightwood. Their rooms were adjacent, yes, but Jem had Clary– and later, Will– while Alec spent much of his time with Magnus. _How odd that men are seeing each other,_ he thought with a mild shrug. Who was he to pass judgment on their happiness?

"Is it hard? Living with Jace as you do?"

Alec looked up from the book he held, startled. He had Will's dark hair and blue eyes, though his were much lighter and less mysterious. He wore dark clothing as though he did not wish to draw attention to himself.

"I– no, not really. You get used to him. He's my best friend, you know. How do you live with Will? He's awful. At least I know Jace has a heart, however deep down he tries to bury it."

Jem thought of the fire in Will's eyes when he glanced at Tessa. "Will has a heart, too. You just have to be the right person to see it in him– or rather, you have to be the right person and he'll let you see it in him."

Alec was struck again by how much that sounded like Jace. "Is this a genetic thing? Are Jace's kids going to have so many problems? Or is it just these two?"

Jem shrugged. "In all honesty I wouldn't know. I do hope that not all the Herondale men have such problems."

"Beautiful and sarcastic," Alec sighed. "It runs in the family."

"That sounds just about right. At least I know that Will settles down sometime. I suppose it's entirely possible that one of the girls he uses happened to–" He waved a hand in the general vicinity of his midsection. "Though I'd much rather he had a wife."

"We can't always get what we want. Sometimes… stuff happens, something undesirable, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

Jem sighed. "This may be the first and only time I agree with a Lightwood, but yes. About that, you are correct."

**Jace's Bedroom**

Jace curved an arm around his girlfriend and sighed contentedly. Their lips were red and swollen, their hair in complete disarray, but that was the way they liked it; not so perfect and polished, with their appearances matching their feelings for each other. In fact, Jace couldn't even remember why he lost interest in Clary. She was so smart, so fiery, so beautiful.

Next to him she wondered the same. Jem was lovely and kind, that was true, but Jace had that _fire_, that passion, that irresistibility that drew her in like a moth to a flame. He glowed with golden light like the Sun itself, and he spoke _Italian_, ancient words that were weighted with the heaviness of sincerity.

"Jace?" she asked quietly, burrowing into the crook of his arm. She looked up at him with big green eyes, and he looked down at her with amused tawny ones.

"Yeah?"

"What _happened_ over the last week? Why did I forget the way I felt about you?"

"Do you think I know? God, Clary, I have no idea. I know what you mean, but I don't know why. All I know is that I should never have stopped loving you."

"Well," she drawled in a decent imitation of his voice, "_I _never stopped loving you. I just… forgot. It was always there, just in the back of my mind." She straddled his waist and ran her fingers through the damp tendrils of his hair.

He groaned. "Do you know what you do to me?"

"I think I have a pretty good idea," she whispered before his mouth covered hers, and it was oblivion, blissful oblivion.

**The Kitchen**

"I think Jem was right," Tessa said. "I think you have a bit of an obsession with kitchens." She and Will were alone in the Institute's kitchen, again. He hardly ever left the place, and though he never said why, Jem had conspiratorially whispered to Tessa that it was because a miracle had taken place there, and Will didn't want to forget it.

"Oh, hush," Will said, rolling his eyes. "I just think it's a convenient place to meet, and in reality it is. People only ever come in here for meals, so if you're meeting _between_ meals, you won't be disturbed."

Tessa grabbed an apple from a bowl on the counter and sat down. "And just what are we doing that we need to be discreet?"

He shrugged. "Talking, but I hate when people walk in in the middle of a conversation and try to join it."

"You have a peculiar set of likes and dislikes. In fact, you're an odd sort all together."

"Am I? How so?" He sounded as though he was grinning from his perch, lounging against the countertop.

"You reel people in with your looks and your charm and then you push them away as though they disgust you for being so weak. You quote poetry while you're hunting demons. You're just… I don't know. I don't know you much at all, Will, because you don't _let_ me. I try and you push me away as though who you are is unimportant." She looked down, apparently examining the apple, running slim fingers around the skin, green but blushing red in places.

"Tess," he said quietly, sounding as though he was much closer to her than before, and when she looked up, he was standing right next to her. "The things you want to know are the unimportant things. What were my parents like, what was my home like, none of that _matters,_ can't you see?"

"No, I can't," she whispered. "Your past made you who you are, and it's important to me, at least. I want to understand you."

"You don't need to."

"But I want to!" Will sighed inwardly. She was so _stubborn_, with that funny relentlessness she had.

"Look," he said firmly. "I am going to tell you something important, so listen to me. The reason my past doesn't matter is because the person it made me? That person is gone. I am not the same Will Herondale as I was when I was twelve, or fifteen, or even six months ago. The person I am now is who _you_ made me."

"_I_ made you? I'm the reason you are… the way you are now?" Her hands shook slightly as she put the apple on the counter and looked up at Will's face. "I don't understand."

"I changed when I met you, ask Jem, he'll tell you. I am a different person than I was before I met you." He took her by the hand and pulled her up, not ungentle, so that he could look her in the eyes. "Have you ever heard that saying? 'I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you'? Well, that about sums it up."

Her huge grey eyes searched his face for truth, desperately, and he couldn't help but smile. She was so clever, and yet this one concept seemed to bemuse her. She swallowed and stammered, "You– love me?"

"Good Lord, I thought you were intelligent! Why did it take you this long to figure it out?" That wasn't the answer she was looking for, he knew it; she wanted more of a _Of course I love you, Tessa. I will always love you, and I promise I will never hurt you again. _He couldn't promise that, for each man kills the things he loves. _The coward with a kiss, the brave man with a sword,_ he quoted to himself, not remembering what it was or where he read it, but only thinking that in this instance, he would be a coward and claim Tessa with a kiss.

When their lips met, it was with the knowledge that something had changed. Will knew that things couldn't go back to the way they were, which should have scared him but in reality made him shiver with anticipation. It didn't matter that Tessa hadn't said she loved him, either, because he could feel it, could taste it on her lips, along with the sweetness that was particular to her.

When they broke apart, needing air, her lips were swollen. Will brushed a finger over them. "You scoundrel," she gasped. "Is this why you wanted the solitude of the kitchen?"

He threw his head back and laughed. "The questions you ask," he murmured before losing himself in Tessa once again.


	13. The Fluffy Romance Thing

**Here we go. Not the end, but pretty damn close. Review? It will help me finish it up quicker... :) And I'm sorry it's been so long, I was busy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A Day Later**

Magnus swept into the front hall in a cloud of glitter and Sensual Amber body spray. "Good morning!" he called out in a singsong voice, greeting a thoroughly exhausted-looking Will who sat alone in a small room off the hall.

"Shut up," Will muttered darkly.

"Do you know where Tessa is?"

"Probably still in my bed."

"Okay, I– wait," Magnus said cautiously, squinting at the dark-haired Shadowhunter boy. "Is she okay?"

"Might have some bruises."

"Yeah, I get it, you're a stud. I kind of need her. Get her for me?"

"I'm here, Magnus," she said cheerfully, walking over to him and smoothing her skirts with the palms of her hands. "What– why are you looking at me like that?"

He bobbed his eyebrows. "Have fun last night?"

She looked up at him– and there were few men she had to look up to– quizzically. "What do you mean? Did I miss something?"

"Not really. Will's been implying that you two were very naughty, but I'm guessing that's not the truth."

"You _what? _Will! Why in the name of God would tell him that you– that I– that we– ugh! I assure you I didn't, Magnus, and I _won't_ in any sort of future." She glared down at Will, who was looking at her with satisfied amusement under the tired mask. "So what did you want?"

"I thought you should be the first to know. I've gotten approval and have almost finished the time Portal. All I need is for all of you to come back to my apartment and I can send you home."

"Home," she repeated wistfully.

"Home," Will agreed, his eyes glazing over.

"I'm going to go tell the others. I'll talk to you later," Magnus said as he trotted off to find Charlotte. When he was out of sight, Tessa rounded on Will.

"I can't believe you told him that we were together like that! Oh, Lord, if he tells Jem…"

He laughed throatily and pulled her onto his lap, kissing the skin where her neck met her shoulder. "We didn't do anything, so why are you so concerned?"

She sighed, closing her eyes. "Because if everyone _thinks_ we did…"

"Look, anyone who knows me won't doubt it, but anyone who knows you even a little knows that you would never, not when you barely know me. You, my love, have more upstanding morals than myself."

She bit her lip, but opened her eyes and searched his face as though memorizing it. "But we almost…" she whispered.

"But we didn't. You stopped me. Come on, we'd better go to breakfast or they'll all get suspicious. Don't worry, no one will be any the wiser as to what did or did not happen last night."

She stood up and waited while he dragged himself to his feet. "What were you doing in this little room, anyway? Why didn't you just go to breakfast?"

"Too many people. I'm tired and I was not in the mood to listen to that many people all talking at once. Magnus just happened to notice me on his way by." He took her hand and led her to the kitchen, where Magnus was complaining loudly.

"–Thrashing about like a pair of eels, I didn't have any warning at all, just walked in and saw you two going at it…" He saw Tessa and Will out of the corner of his eye. "All I _wanted_ to do was find Charlotte or Maryse, but I had to see these two…"

"'Thrashing about like a pair of eels'?" Jace repeated incredulously. "Where do you get this stuff?"

"Harry Potter," he said defensively, looking distinctly ruffled as Clary dissolved into laughter.

"Harry… Potter…" she gasped in between giggles. "You read mundane books about magic… You're a warlock!"

Will looked between the three of them confusedly before shrugging and grabbing the loaf of bread from the counter. "Since no one has decided to make breakfast, I'll have to feed myself."

"How awful, having to make your own toast," Jace said in mock sympathy. "Tell me, is it terribly hard?"

"Not nearly as hard as my fist," Will replied mildly. They had all been through so much together that he didn't have the heart to be truly cruel to Jace anymore.

"Your head, you mean," Jem added, strolling in with Isabelle and Maryse.

"Jem, when I want your opinion I shall ask for it."

"I can't wait forever," the boy said with an amicable shrug. "You're making toast? Make me some."

"Maryse, I've made the Portal. They'll all be going home tonight," Magnus murmured to her.

Maryse's hands flew to her mouth. "You're sure? Oh, I need to get Charlotte and Henry. I'll be right back. They'll all be leaving," she added to herself, sounding almost saddened at the thought. She returned in a few minutes, and the looks on Charlotte and Henry's faces told Magnus that Maryse had told them the news.

"We can finally get back to normal," Charlotte said in a low voice.

"I'm sorry, all right? It was an accident, I didn't mean for anything to happen this way!" Henry cried.

Everyone who heard looked at him and softened. They all knew Henry never meant to screw up, he just… did. Often. They loved him anyway, but he was far from malignant. He never wanted to hurt anyone.

"Oh, Henry," Charlotte sighed. "We know it was an accident. We don't blame you, and this was actually incredibly fascinating." She smiled up at her husband, his face in that sad-puppy state under his ginger hair. He smiled hesitantly back.

Jem shrugged and turned away from the moment Henry and Charlotte were sharing. Tessa and Will were playfully discussing something in muffled voices, and Clary was running her hands through Jace's blonde hair while Jace smiled lazily, his eyes half-lidded.

"Kind of makes you sick, doesn't it?" a female voice said from Jem's left. He looked over in surprise to see Isabelle, looking bored and faintly nauseated. "The fluffy romance stuff, I mean."

"It's sweet," Jem said softly, perhaps a bit longingly. "That they're so happy, I mean. All of them."

"I guess I'm just jealous."

"I thought you were seeing someone… Simon?"

She groaned. "Simon… He's nice enough, but not quite what I'm looking for. Hey, I'm only sixteen. I can't be expected to settle down now anyway, no one our age can."

"What if you don't have time to settle down? I envy them for their love and their belief that they have forever, honestly. I wish…"

"You wish you could settle _now_, but you can't, because you're young and no one takes you seriously. Plus it must be hard to find someone who can look past your… illness." No one had ever said Izzy wasn't blunt, and she was. Jem appreciated her honesty.

"Exactly. I'm glad to see someone understands."

She patted his shoulder. "I hope you _do_ find someone, you know. You're a really great guy."

Jem smiled. "Thank you. Good luck for you, too. I can't say I know you all that well, but you seem pleasant enough. Any man would be lucky to have you." He looked down at the Voyance rune on his hand, examining it and pretending the moment wasn't awkward.

"Thanks. I gotta go," she said quickly, ruffling Jem's hair and checking the time on her phone. "I think I might give Simon another chance."

"You should. He can't be worse than Will, and _he's_ happy."

Isabelle laughed. "I like that you guys, like, jab at each other and don't even care. It's great. See you!" Without another word she dashed out of the kitchen in the direction of the front door.

Jem took the momentary peace to look around. Everyone was talking and laughing. No one was yelling, no one was fighting, no one had punched anyone yet, though it was early. Magnus had mysteriously disappeared and Alec had never shown up, which Jem found amusing suspicious. They were happy in their own way, were they not? Was everyone not happy in their own way? No, he wasn't in love, and no, he didn't have a girl that loved him the way Tessa loved Will, but Tessa loved him in some way, didn't she? Will cared for him in his own way, Charlotte and Henry were like older siblings, perhaps even parents, and even the 21st century Shadowhunters were friendly to him.

_So, no, I am not happy like they are. But I am happy in my own way, which is good enough for me._


	14. It's All Over

**Well, this is the end, everyone! I thank you all for sticking with me through this wacky journey, and I love each and every one of you who read/reviewed/put it on Alert/favorited. Of course, if you did all four I love you best. :) Thanks so much for reading, please enjoy, and review! It'll really help, I swear!**

**Disclaimer: I won nothing.**

**That Evening**

"I can't believe we're _leaving_," Tessa whispered to Jem, who nodded in a glum kind of agreement.

"It seems like just yesterday we landed on the front steps. Remember when we first found out that Will and Jace were related? It seems so obvious now, doesn't it? Practically brothers, if not for the fact that they _hardly_ resemble one another."

"Don't they?" She and Jem took a closer look at the Herondale boys, who were standing together and comparing the star-shaped scars on their shoulders. It was, as it was that first day, an odd mix of dark and light. And yet they shared their height and build, the spark of mischief in their eyes, the drawl in their voices, their painfully blunt manner, and their quick wit. They even had the same passion, albeit for different things.

Jem sighed. "I'm almost going to miss this century."

"I think I am, too. It's not quite the New York I remember, but nevertheless, I've enjoyed myself profusely. The library was beautiful."

The silver-haired boy snorted. "Yes, because we all the _books_ kept you in the library for all those hours. It had nothing to do with a certain Herondale, of course."

"I suppose you're right. It was my fear of running into Will that kept me in the library for so long." She sighed in mock distress.

He threw his head back and laughed. "Ah, Miss Gray. Such a sharp tongue you have."

"I do try. If you'll excuse me, Mr. Carstairs, I'd like to bid some people farewell." She didn't wait for Jem's answer but just walked away, stepping in front of Jace and asking for a private word. He nodded to Will in that special way guys have, communicating a thousand words with a single toss of the head.

"Jace," she started, twisting her hands together. "About everything that happened… Well, thank you."

"You know this was Magnus's fault, right? He cast a spell on us to make us think we loved each other, to teach us a lesson or something."

"Did he?" She blinked rapidly before laughing. "Well, we learned something, didn't we? We all do stupid things for love, but that doesn't make them the wrong thing to do. We sacrifice everything, do anything, for the ones we love. Didn't Clary create a new rune to save Jem's life? Didn't Will swallow his pride and apologize to me to try to win me back? I'm sure you did something foolish as well."

Jace thought about his body blocking the door, raised voices, Clary screeching, and their feverish kiss in the rain. "I'll have to agree. I guess he did his job. Hey, what did you mean, 'thanks'?"

"You were so different from Will. You were kind and gentle where he was not. By allowing myself to be with someone like you, it made me see that it was Will I wanted after all. Therefore, I thank you."

He nodded slowly. "Well, if that's all…" His eyes flicked over to Clary, laughing at something Isabelle had said, her red hair shining in the sunlight. "You're welcome. You're a nice girl, but just not the girl for me."

"I completely understand. Good luck with everything."

"Yeah, you too. See you." Jace had to keep himself from running to Clary, though he was quiet enough to throw his arms around her and scare her into jumping.

"Jace, you asshole!"

"Ah, you liked it." He pulled her tighter against him, kissing the top of her head.

She sighed and melted a bit before trying to slide out of his grip. "Okay, lemme go. I want to talk to Jem."

He released her like she was suddenly burning him. "Oh, I see how it is. Abandon your one true love for Jem, again." His voice held mock disappointment and genuine amusement. "I'll just sit here and cry, it's fine." He sniffed a little in an attempt to distract her from the teasing lilt to his voice, but it didn't work. She smiled that crooked grin and walked away.

"Hey, Jem, come here for a sec?" He followed her a short distance away. "Thanks for whatever it was we had. You're really a sweet guy, you know?"

"I know."

"All right, smart ass. I'm serious. I didn't love you, but we had a good time. It was weird being with someone who wasn't Jace, but I kinda liked it. I won't forget it, anyway."

"Nor will I. You saved my life, I won't ever forget_ that._ I can't believe that you have such an incredible power, so you must use it, yes? Just imagine how many other poor souls you can save with that rune of yours." He smiled to show his sincerity.

She bit her lip. "I don't think I can do it again. The picture's gone from my head. I think it was a one-time thing."

"Well, I'm glad it was there _that_ one time." He put his hand on her shoulder. "I wish we could meet again, but alas, I doubt it will happen. Have a good life."

"You as well." She wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug before dashing off to Jace's side again. Jem put his hand over his heart unconsciously, right above the faint scar where there was once a twisted wreath of spiraling runes.

"Hey, everyone," Magnus called loudly. "As much fun as you're all obviously having, get the hell out of my house. I want the half of you that belong in London to go back there, and I want the rest of you back in your Institute. Bye!" He waved off the New York Shadowhunters, though stopped Alec for a hug. Jace saluted Tessa and nodded to Will, Clary waved to Jem, and Isabelle blew him a kiss before leaving.

When the 21st century Shadowhunters were gone, Magnus sighed and scrawled one last thing on his wall, making a shape that was roughly door-sized glow blue. "There you go. Time Portal. Henry, no more messing around with any of this, you got it?"

"Got it," Henry said meekly, a sheepish smile on his face. Charlotte shook her head exasperatedly and proceeded to gently scold him once more. Seeing this, as well as Tessa and Will's kiss, Jem pulled Magnus aside.

"You live in my future, meaning that everything that will ever happen in my lifetime has already happened to you. You know what will happen to me. Would you be able to tell me?"

"Of course I would be _able_," Magnus scoffed, examining his nails. "I won't, though. I'd rather it be a surprise. Anyway, when people know their future, they always try to change it, and that _never _turns out well."

Jem nodded. "Of course. I understand." He made as though to turn away, but Magnus grabbed his arm.

"Since it's you, and I like and trust you more than the others, I can give you a hint if you'd like."

Jem's silver eyes went wide, and the most desperate expression came onto his face. As sure as he was of his imminent demise, he was more concerned than anyone that he wouldn't have a proper life, and he wanted so much to know how long he lived.

Obviously Magnus wouldn't give away that crucial fact, but he dropped one glittery eye in a wink and whispered conspiratorially, "Your kids are beautiful."

Jem bit his lip to hide a wide grin and nodded his thanks, being more than a little speechless. He had _children,_ and they were beautiful…

"Can we go home yet?" Will complained loudly.

Magnus let out a short breath aggrievedly. "Yes, please. Go. Just go through the Portal and you'll be back in the kitchen."

With a short laugh, Will took Tessa's hand, running and jumping dramatically into the Portal. She shrieked, being dragged along for the ride, and Jem laughed. He walked in, turning to smile at Magnus before he disappeared into the glowing blue door. Charlotte and Henry were last.

When they were gone, Magnus closed the Portal and leaned against the wall. Seeing them again had drudged up memories of his brief spell in London, some good and some bad. Either way, what was done was done. He couldn't go back to that time even if he wanted to, and he didn't… Right?

_It's done,_ he thought forcefully. _It's all over. You're in this century, with Alec._ He ran his hand through glitter-encrusted spikes of black hair, smirking at his very bright, modern apartment. _And you wouldn't change it for the world._

**London Institute, 1878**

Jem nearly flew through the Portal, and for once, he landed on the other side with his feet firmly planted on the ground, instead of landing in an awkward sprawl. He assumed that Tessa and Will would land that way, based on the way they fell through the Portal, but he didn't see them.

_Where are they?_ he wondered, before happening to glance down. _There_ they were, still awkwardly sprawled on the ground, Tessa on top of Will, though they seemed more than pleased with the arrangement, if their tangled tongues were any indication.

"By the Angel, get a room, why don't you!" Jem cried, forcing them to spring apart. Well, Tessa jumped up. Will covered his eyes with one arm and grinned lazily.

"Jealousy is unbecoming on you, James."

Jem opened his mouth to argue that while he would one day have a family, Tessa was unable to bear children, but it sounded cruel even in his head. He settled for shaking his head and proclaiming, "I hope you're happy. I did not want that to be my first sight when I returned to London."

Charlotte and Henry came through just then, and the blue-white light disappeared. "Er, Will, why are you on the floor?" Charlotte asked, sounding confused.

"Just resting," he lied cheerily. He stood up, muttering to himself about getting no privacy, when the kitchen door opened.

"Oh, good, you're all here," Sophie said briskly. "Come on, dinner's almost ready. Go, sit." She tried to shoo them out of her kitchen, but stopped at their faces. "What's the matter?"

"We were gone for almost two weeks, and all you can say it 'dinner's almost ready'?" Will asked, dumbfounded.

She crinkled her nose. "Two weeks? But you went into the crypt not twenty minutes ago!"

The rest of the group exchanged looks. So Magnus sent them back to their exact time of departure. That was good. Sophie would have been absolutely terrified if they were gone too long. With a few nods and smiles, they filed into the dining room. As usual, Jem was at the back, just in front of Sophie. He stopped, a thought crossing his mind.

Tessa couldn't bear children because she was a warlock. Sophie, however, was a mundane, and she had been in love with him for years (or so Will, who was good at reading those sorts of things, informed him). He looked her over, her slender body and pretty face. She was marked with the scar as he was with his illness; it made others find them unattractive.

"Sophie?" he breathed in a soft voice, keeping his bright eyes locked on her hazel ones, which were filled with suspicion that faded to something warmer.

"Yes, Master Jem?"

"Thank you, for everything that you do for us. I don't recall ever having thanked you properly before, and I apologize if I– or any of us– have taken you for granted. We owe you so much." He kissed her cheek, the one untouched by her scar, and brushed a lock of dark hair out of her eyes.

She flushed in apparent embarrassment, but her smile was true and loving. "No need to thank me," she whispered, pushing him gently in the direction of the others.

"You can't escape me forever," he laughed, but did as she wished and joined the others. His heart swelled at the sight of everyone so happy: Tessa and Will were deep in conversation and arguing good-naturedly, Charlotte was sitting and watching as Henry showed her the blueprint for a new invention he was planning, and Sophie glowing as she served them all.

_Perhaps I was wrong this morning,_ Jem thought as he joined Will and Tessa's argument and Sophie accidentally– or maybe not so accidentally– brushed his arm with her own. He _was_ happy like they all were, he _did_ have a girl that loved him the way Tessa loved Will, and maybe, just maybe, he _was_ in love. Life was beautiful.


End file.
